Seated: Former Vice Chancellor Prof. Livingstone Luboobi (2nd Left), Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi - Mak Academic Registrar (2nd Right), Dr. Lwando Mdleleni - Researcher, University of the Western Cape (Right), together with students participating in the Research School at the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium on 28th November 2022.
The first ever Makerere-University of Bergen Research School (MBRS) got underway at the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium on Monday 28th November 2022. Held as part of activities to celebrate Makerere University’s 100 years of excellence and 35 years of close collaboration with the University of Bergen (UiB), the MBRS was officially opened by the Ambassador of Norway to Uganda H.E. Elin Østebø Johansen. In attendance was the Academic Registrar Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi who represented the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Rector University of Bergen Prof. Benedicte Carlsen, who attended virtually from UiB, researchers, MBRS facilitators and participants as well as staff of Makerere.
Set to be held from 28th November to 9th December 2022, the MBRS attracted twenty-eight (28) student participants, twenty-two (22) of whom will be physically present at Makerere University, while six (6) will attend virtually from the hub at UiB. Fifteen (15) of the students are female while thirteen (13) are male. The students are from sixteen (16) nations namely; the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Additionally, students are drawn from sixteen (16) different universities namely; Addis Ababa University, University of Bergen, University of Cape Town, Estonian University of Life Sciences, University of Ghana, University of Ibadan, Kampala International University, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Leeds and Makerere University. Others are; Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Oslo, The Regional Centre for Sustainable Adaption to Global Change in the Middle East (SAGE), University of the Western Cape and Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Prof. Buyinza in his welcome remarks thanked Ambassador Elin Østebø Johansen for always honoring invitations to events at Makerere and actively cultivating a warm and cordial relationship between the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the University.
“The spirit of our partnership is built first and foremost on strong personal relationships between the faculty of the two institutions, and constant communication as supported by the two collaboration offices set up and funded by either institution” remarked Prof. Buyinza.
He added that the University of Bergen is the only institution that has had a permanent presence at Makerere University since 1992. This active partnership, he noted, is partly responsible for Makerere and the University of Bergen’s winning six (6) projects under the NORHED II programme, two (2) projects under the NORPART programme, one (1) project under the Norwegian Research Council and at least two individually funded PhDs.
Turning to the MBRS, Prof. Buyinza noted that the initiative is based upon the successes of the Bergen Summer Research School (BSRS), which has been running since 2008 at the University of Bergen under its global challenges programme.
“The overall goal of the Makerere-Bergen Research School is to implement a regular PhD Research School in the global south, increasing the internationalization of Makerere University towards global excellence and enhancing regional collaboration among African universities through south-south and north-south mobility” added Prof. Buyinza.
H.E. Elin Østebø Johansen in her remarks congratulated the two institutions upon commemorating Makerere’s 100 year anniversary and 35 years of cooperation by holding the MBRS in Uganda. She acknowledged that the School’s theme; Food and Water Security in a changing World, is highly relevant to many countries in both the Global North and South.
“Climate change is a reality, so is the fact that without having contributed significantly to the situation in terms of emissions, countries in Africa are the hardest hit… their national economies are highly dependent on the agricultural sector. This implies severe problems and crises for economies and people in general” observed H.E. Johansen.
She added that knowledge and fact-based understanding of underlying processes and developments is one of the most important tools in Norway’s development assistance portfolio with partner countries. The Ambassador therefore emphasized the role of research as a mechanism for establishing knowledge and evidence from which decisions can be made. The Ambassador reiterated that Norway’s philosophy on collaboration in research with its partners in all academic fields, which prioritizes inclusiveness as a means of ensuring green and sustainable results.
Vice Rector Prof. Carlsen acknowledged that UiB’s collaboration with Makerere that goes back to 1988 is one of the longest standing relationships her institution has had with any other University. She added that the MBRS is a natural development from the longstanding collaboration aimed at addressing research priorities at both universities.
“The close collaboration is a prime example of longstanding research collaboration that turns into individual friendship and trust. That trust is the strong foundation for achieving goals and building for the future together; bringing South and North together to address common challenges and finding common solutions” added Prof. Carlsen.
The Mak-UiB Collaboration Coordinator for Makerere University Dr. Ronald Semyalo, noted that the MBRS is similar to other activities held under the auspices of the Uganda-Norway Alumni Association. Such activities, he said, include the Annual SDGs and Youth Programme, generously supported by the Norwegian Embassy. He added that the Mak-UiB Collaboration is built on long term intentions with the aim of roping in even more institutions through activities such as the MBRS.
“And that is what we have done here. We have invited young researchers from very many countries and we believe that our interactions here will build on that collaboration (with the University of Bergen)” explained Dr. Semyalo.
To set the pace for the MBRS, Dr. Lwando Mdleleni, a Senior Researcher and the University of Western Cape delivered a keynote address on “Higher Education partnerships and the Sustainable Development Goals for Developing countries”. The four part address tackled: Higher Education Institutions as catalysts for sustainable development; How to build partnership models to accelerate SDGs; North-South partnerships as reflected in the UNESCO report; and the Role of emerging scholars in advancing SDGs.
The keynote presentation was followed by a panel discussion on SDGs with particular focus on SDG4 (Quality Educaiton) and the role of the youth moderated by UiB alumnus and Senior Gender Officer in the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, Makerere University, Mr. Eric Tumwesigye. Panelists included; Mr. Theogene Habumugisha a UiB Global Challenges PhD Candidate, Ms. Alicia Barraclough a postdoctoral researcher associated to the University of Bergen UNESCO Chair, Dr. Perpetra Akite one of Uganda’s leading entomologists and Lecturer in the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University and Mr. Jostas Mwebembezi the Fonder, Executive Director and Senior Research Consultant of Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy (RCRA).
Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), through the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) for Preparedness and Response to Pandemics and Shocks, has shared findings from its study of Uganda’s Mpox response with stakeholders in Kasese, Amuru, Nakasongola and Mayuge districts to strengthen district preparedness for future outbreaks.
The Africa-Europe CoRE is a partnership co-led by MakSPH and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters at UCLouvain, Belgium. It brings together universities in Africa and Europe to strengthen research, training and preparedness for pandemics and other public health shocks.
The district-level dissemination meetings, held from 10 to 14 August 2026, brought together more than 100 local government, health and security officials, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and community representatives. The meetings enabled stakeholders to validate the district-level findings, identify practical actions and provide feedback for the study’s final analysis and national dissemination.
Mr. Philliam Jabim shares the Mpox response study findings with participants during the dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Uganda confirmed its first two Mpox cases on 24 July 2024 at Bwera Hospital in Kasese District. The Ministry of Health declared an outbreak on 2 August 2024. As documented in the study, the response involved health workers, communities, local governments, security agencies, political leaders, and implementing partners.
In response to the outbreak, a MakSPH research team led by Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo, Dr. Steven Kabwama and Mr. Douglas Bulafu conducted a study in May 2025 to assess Uganda’s Mpox response, including its policies, interventions, strategies and challenges, and generate lessons to inform recovery and strengthen preparedness for future public health emergencies.
Using purposive sampling, the research team conducted 20 key informant interviews and five focus group discussions in each of the four districts, drawing perspectives from western Uganda in Kasese, northern Uganda in Amuru, central Uganda in Nakasongola and eastern Uganda in Mayuge.
Participants and the MakSPH research team at the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
The study, titled Assessment of the Mpox Response in Uganda: Documenting Challenges, Lessons and Innovations to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacities, was funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF).
“This study is helping us move beyond recounting the Mpox response to identifying the actions that districts and national partners can take before the next outbreak. By validating the findings with stakeholders who led and experienced the response, we are ensuring that the evidence reflects local realities and can inform stronger surveillance, risk communication, coordination and community engagement,” said Mr. Bulafu, who led the MakSPH team during the dissemination meeting in Amuru.
Mr. Douglas Bulafu engages participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Amuru District on 10 August 2026.
In Amuru, the 10 August meeting brought together over 25 stakeholders from the district health team, political leadership, security agencies, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and the community. On the same day, a second MakSPH team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, convened stakeholders in Kasese for a parallel validation meeting. The consultations then continued in Nakasongola on 12 August and concluded in Mayuge on 14 August, extending the study’s engagement across all four districts.
Across the districts, stakeholders said the results reflected their experience during the outbreak. They pointed to strengths in leadership, coordination, community engagement and partner support, while also describing gaps in documentation, logistics, diagnostic access, staffing, risk communication, public trust and continuity of essential health services.
They also noted inconsistent implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) 7-1-7 target, which calls for detecting a suspected outbreak within seven days, notifying public health authorities within one day and completing early response actions within seven days.
The MakSPH research team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, with participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Kasese District on 10 August 2026.
In Kasese, stakeholders highlighted gaps in documentation, financial and logistical resources, and human resources. They identified Village Health Teams and grassroots, religious and cultural leaders as important resources for community surveillance and risk communication. They called for stronger collaboration between technical and non-technical leaders, engagement with traditional healers, greater use of local radio for public sensitisation, and better facilitation of district epidemic response teams to reach distant communities.
Amuru participants called for proactive preparedness in the border district, citing misinformation and rumours as barriers to risk communication. They urged timely, accurate information from health workers and other authorities; training in disease surveillance and grant writing to strengthen capacity and resource mobilisation; and compassionate care, psychosocial support and community awareness to reduce stigma and support survivor reintegration.
During the meeting in Nakasongola, stakeholders identified Community Health Workers and Community Health Extension Workers as potential resources for strengthening community surveillance and addressing workforce shortages. Given the district’s position around Lake Kyoga and along the Kampala-South Sudan transit corridor, they also called for stronger documentation, note-taking and reporting, accurate real-time information, closer communication with the Ministry of Health, and collaboration among technical, political, religious and community leaders.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, contributes to the discussion during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, called for a permanent, adequately resourced outbreak-management centre to help protect routine services during future epidemics. “We appeal for better facilities to manage epidemics and outbreaks. At Nakasongola Health Centre IV, spaces previously used for outbreak management have been repurposed for other services, and we have limited staff. During the Mpox response, colleagues assigned to manage patients later returned to the general team, creating fear among staff already under pressure,” she said.
In Mayuge, Dr. Basembeza highlighted leadership, coordination and surveillance structures operating from district to community level as important factors in the response. He said the structures enabled the district to receive and respond quickly to community alerts. “Whenever there is a rumour or an alert, we are able to respond. Within 20 minutes, we had a response because of the structure we have,” Dr. Basembeza said.
Based on the findings, the research team recommends increased preparedness financing, stronger community engagement, decentralised diagnostic services through stronger district laboratory capacity, and improved health information and research systems.
Across the four districts, stakeholders reaffirmed that trusted community structures and coordinated action across sectors are essential to strengthening outbreak preparedness.
It is a pleasure to present the January – June 2026 edition of the MakGrad Newsletter by Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training. At the Directorate of Graduate Training we are committed to building an enabling environment where our students can flourish and their academic journey is well-supported. Formerly one of the two main divisions that constituted the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training, the stand alone Directorate of Graduate Training is mandated to coordinate and administer all matters related to postgraduate studies.
At time when Makerere University is steadily transforming into a research led institution, we are on hand to review and initiate policies meant to provide a conducive environment for graduate training and innovative research. From redesigned PhD crosscutting courses, enhanced supervision structures, improved infrastructure, to stronger partnerships with global institutions — we are laying the foundation for increased success.
In this edition of our newsletter, we share with you highlights of some of the activities during the period January – June 2026. The 76th graduation ceremony in February 2026 recorded key important in roads in Makerere University’s efforts to respond to the country’s need for increased capacity in doctoral training. The 213 PhDs was a significant increase from the previous number of 144. It reflects an intentional progress towards increased completion rates. Beyond focusing on technical expertise, the Directorate coordinates efforts to cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and interdisciplinary fluency of all our graduate students. Today’s challenges rarely fit neatly into one discipline; they demand collaboration across disciplinary fields. In this edition of the Newsletter, we share some of the training of trainers and learners’ trainings we have conducted to achieve this objective.
I thank all the staff of the Directorate and the university at large, the graduate students and all the stakeholder for the support and collaboration. You are part of a growing, supportive community committed to excellence and transformation that our country prides in.
The latest Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) Newsletter (Issue 22, January–June 2026), themed Research to Impact showcases how CARTA fellows, graduates, and partner institutions are moving evidence beyond publications into policy, practice, innovation, and everyday lives.
An article titled “Why Research Uptake Requires More Than Good Science” featuring Dr. Godwin Anywar, a Lecturer in the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Makerere University’s work precisely captures this transition. His research began by systematically documenting indigenous medicinal plants used by traditional healers in Uganda to support people living with HIV/AIDS. This work has grown into internationally recognized science that has informed understanding of traditional medicine, sparked global collaborations, and even reached communities through a traveling mobile museum.
Dr. Anywar’s personal reflection captures this succinctly: producing good research was only the beginning. Visibility, deliberate communication, sustained engagement, and opportunities to share the work were equally essential in transforming locally generated evidence into global influence.
Beyond his work, this edition of the Newsletter captures; research shaping better care for TB survivors in Malawi, smarter solutions for mosquito control emerging, efforts to transform graduate supervision institution by institution, and reflections on embedding stakeholder engagement as a core university function.
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